Lucy Davis: How I beat my battle with bulimia

THE Office made her a star - then eating disorders and divorce took their toll, but actress Lucy Davis is walking on sunshine once again.

Lucy David has beaten her body issue demons to come out stronger than ever

The Caribbean island of Guadeloupe sounds like an idyllic place for an interview. but when I meet Lucy Davis on the set of BBC1's detective drama Death in Paradise, the reality is not so much sun-drenched as just plain drenched.

Seeking shelter from a ferocious tropical storm, we take a seat in a shack by the beach as the rain clatters on the corrugated-iron roof above us. It makes such a racket, Lucy laughs that she will have to project extra-loudly into my tape recorder - like a proper theatrical luvvie - to make herself heard. "I wish I'd done Shakespeare," she jokes.

Never one to take herself too seriously, Lucy chuckles about her previous TV whodunnits ("Sometimes when I watch them, I can't remember if I've done it or not"), and the 40 year old shows a similar sense of humour about her appearance: "Just put, 'She looks great - I can't see any crow's-feet'."

The truth is, she really does look great. Sporting a glamorous white shirt with jewel-studded collar, Lucy looks relaxed and happy, her blonde hair framing delicate features that frequently break into a smile.

Lucy moved to Los Angeles a decade ago, following the phenomenal global success of The Office. Her brilliant portrayal of lovelorn receptionist Dawn opened up some prestigious doors Stateside, from cult hit Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip to ratings stealer Ugly Betty.

But right now she's back to working with the beeb, starring opposite ben Miller's fish-out-of-water Detective Inspector richard Poole in Death in Paradise.

She plays Vicky, personal assistant and prime suspect when her businessman boss is shot dead at a fundraiser.

"When I'm playing the scenes, I always ask, 'Am I meant to sound innocent or suspicious at this point?'" she says. "The director always wants both, so viewers have to keep guessing!"

Lucy has an infectious passion for her career. "being on set is what I live for," she beams. "The joy I get from work is just huge. I have been very lucky - all the jobs I've done have been with lovely people. In fact, I've been on many where I've just laughed uncontrollably the whole time."

It's good to hear her sounding so happy. Lucy has weathered some difficult times of late, and in 2011 she got divorced from The Mentalist actor Owain yeoman after five years of marriage. She is commendably discreet about the break-up.

"I don't discuss my divorce because it's about two people," she says. "I don't have the right to clear up my mess in the press without regard to someone else."

When it comes to her own feelings, however, the actress is disarmingly candid.

"Profound changes have happened to me recently," she says. "The past year-and-a-half have been rough in a lot of ways, but I'm grateful for that. If I hadn't had those rough times, I wouldn't be this contented - and that's not a word I ever thought I'd use. Now all I want is to go to bed each night knowing I haven't hurt anyone. A great sense of peace comes from that, and a great relief. I don't have to worry about trying to control other things any more."

Lucy is equally open about her battle with bulimia and anorexia, saying: "If I can help one person by speaking out, that will be enough for me." These days she regularly attends Overeaters Anonymous and says she is enjoying a new approach to life, learning to "step back and live in my own bubble of what I treasure".

"I love shutting my front door and being at home with just my dog and me," she adds with a smile. "That's when I'm happiest."

And, although she is a long way from her West Midlands home village of Knowle, Lucy remains close to her family. She's famously the daughter of comedian Jasper Carrott and shares a special bond with her mother Hazel - who, back in 1997, donated a kidney to Lucy when her own failed.

Lucy kisses her on-screen love interest Martin Freeman in The Office

All I want is to go to bed each night knowing I haven't hurt anyone. A great sense of peace comes from that

Lucy Davis

Today however she's the picture of health and is clearly loving her LA lifestyle.

"It may seem trite but I really like the fact that it's sunny most of the time," she says. "My bedroom is at the back of the house and when I come out into the garden every morning, there is always a blue sky. I work much better in sunshine. It's drizzle and greyness that I don't like."

Lucy has certainly been prolific of late. Last year she starred in the comedy horror film Some Guy Who Kills People and movie thriller Nitrate is up next. The actress has also found the time to write a script about an off-the-wall family, which is currently doing the rounds in LA.

A decade on, Lucy is still close to her Office co-stars, but she has found some firm friends in the States, too. "It takes a while to meet the people you love hanging out with," she adds. "but now I have a group of friends in LA that I would trust with anything. That's all I need.

"I remember that great moment in Seinfeld where he says, 'The position for friends is now closed.' I feel like that. I know that my family, my good friends and my dog are what really matter to me. I love what I have."

Lucy's episode of Death in Paradise will be shown on 26 February at 9pm on BBC1.